Randolph dance majors bring guest artist’s work to life

Two Randolph dance students recently found a way to share their work, despite the pandemic.

Samantha Landers ’21 and Emma Carrico ’21 have both recorded themselves performing the same solo piece, choreographed by guest artist Eun-Kyung Chung, Landers in a field near her home in Newport News and Carrico by the labyrinth on campus.

The piece, The Balloon Under the Moon, was originally intended for the spring dance concert. Landers and Carrico began working on it last semester, before the College transitioned to remote learning, so they had those rehearsals to draw on this fall.

“They already knew the choreography,” said Pam Risenhoover, Randolph’s Charles A. Dana Professor of Dance. “They could rehearse online, and they knew what they had to do.”

Risenhoover mailed Landers a costume to wear for the piece, and her mother recorded several takes of her performing in the field. Carrico recorded her performance during a visit to campus.

The dance, set to music by Frédéric Chopin, is moody and beautiful, Risenhoover said, and the performers’ unique backdrops ended up being the perfect setting for it.

“Even though we were planning to stage this in Smith Hall with lights, there’s something about their final performances that is actually very poignant outdoors,” Risenhoover said.